DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The 29th Annual Day at Queen Emma Summer Palace, featuring Hawaiian entertainment, local food, arts and crafts, turned out to be a success in spite of the weather. Nakolo Ahuna, left, and his friend, Manoa Buckman, still had a good time under their umbrellas. "People braved the rain and the weather forecast," said event organizer Siana Hunt.

"I do sunshine dances," said Don Soldier Eagle of the Crow Nation, who worried a downpour might ruin his regalia including a bustle of golden eagle feathers, leather leggings and gauntlets and a porcupine and deer tail hair roach adorning his head.

But while some areas were mostly dry, others received sudden heavy bursts of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to keep a flash flood watch for Oahu, Kauai and Niihau until this afternoon.

The watch was upgraded to a warning for Oahu at about 7:30 last night, when radar showed heavy, slow-moving rain showers over Wahiawa. Heavy rains were also situated over Whitmore Village and Haleiwa.

About 7:10 p.m., the weather service received reports of thunder and lightning from an area northeast of Wahiawa, the water draining into Lake Wilson.

"The water level's been rising and we'll be dealing with runoff from that if we continue to have rainfall overnight," said Victor Proton, National Weather Service lead forecaster.

Windward Oahu from Waikane to Kahuku also received heavy rain.

The health department warned beachgoers on Friday to stay away from coastal areas receiving heavy runoff because of contamination from "brown water," which could contain chemicals or bacteria.

The threat of rain also prompted the city to postpone its Sunset on the Plains event in Kapolei until next weekend.

But in Nuuanu, the 29th Annual Day at Queen Emma Summer Palace turned out to be a success despite the weather.